Don't feed that Raccoon

Saturday morning well after dawn we watched a raccoon squeeze under a fence and then make its way hurriedly to a backyard tree. Fortunately all our pets were inside and we were able to stay clear of it.

As long as raccoons are kept out of human homes, not cornered, and not treated as pets, they are not dangerous.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a great page with everything you need to know about raccoons. Something extra important to know is to never feed raccoons, this includes not leaving pet food outside overnight:

Don’t feed raccoons.
Feeding raccoons may create undesirable situations for you, your children, neighbors, pets, and the raccoons themselves. Raccoons that are fed by people often lose their fear of humans and may become aggressive when not fed as expected. Artificial feeding also tends to concentrate raccoons in a small area; overcrowding can spread diseases and parasites. Finally, these hungry visitors might approach a neighbor who doesn’t share your appreciation of the animals. The neighbor might choose to remove these raccoons, or have them removed.

Have any raccoons in McCleary stories? Feel free to let us know via comments or mcclearychronicles(at)gmail.com.